Kristen Blum
Sprouts Farmers MarketAbout Kristen E. Blum
Independent director at Sprouts Farmers Market since 2016 (age 59), Blum is a veteran technology and retail executive with 30+ years building enterprise IT, digital, data/analytics, and cybersecurity oversight capabilities across PepsiCo/Frito-Lay, J.C. Penney, and Abercrombie & Fitch. She chairs SFM’s Risk Committee, serves on Audit and Nominating & Corporate Governance, and is independent under Nasdaq rules; she also chairs the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation (appointed 2019). Her board credentials include NACD Certified Director, NACD/Carnegie Mellon Cybersecurity Oversight Certification, Berkeley Law/Ceres ESG Certification, NACD Board Leadership Fellow, UCLA Anderson Corporate Governance Certification, and other designations .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees / Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| PepsiCo – Latin America | SVP & Chief Information Officer | Jan 2018 – Apr 2019 | Led regional enterprise IT; cybersecurity and digital enablement leadership . |
| PepsiCo (Global IT Transformation) | SVP & CIO | Nov 2017 – Apr 2018 | Global IT transformation leadership . |
| Frito-Lay (PepsiCo) | SVP & CIO | Sep 2015 – Dec 2017 | Enterprise systems, data/analytics, and commercial enablement . |
| PepsiCo (Commercial Solutions, Innovation, Data & Analytics) | SVP & CIO | Jul 2013 – Sep 2015 | Built commercial solutions and analytics platforms . |
| PepsiCo (Enterprise Solutions) | SVP & CIO | Dec 2010 – Jan 2012 | Enterprise IT solutions leadership . |
| J.C. Penney Co., Inc. | EVP & Chief Technology Officer | Jan 2012 – Jun 2013 | Technology modernization at national retailer . |
| Abercrombie & Fitch | SVP & Chief Information Officer | Mar 2006 – Oct 2010 | Retail IT leadership . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GuideWell Mutual Holding Corp. | Director | Since May 2018 | Not-for-profit mutual holding company (healthcare) . |
| Sheetz | Director | Since Nov 2024 | Private convenience-store chain . |
| Verneek (AI startup) | Advisory Board Member | Since Jun 2022 | AI software development advisory role . |
| Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation | Chairperson | Since Jan 2019 | Sprouts’ non-profit foundation chair . |
Board Governance
- Independence, tenure, and leadership
- Independent director; Class III nominee up for election at 2025 annual meeting; director since 2016 .
- Committee assignments: Audit; Nominating & Corporate Governance; Risk Committee Chair .
- Attendance and engagement
- Board held six meetings in fiscal 2024; each director attended at least 75% of board and committee meetings during their service period; all directors attended the 2024 annual meeting .
- Committee meetings in FY24: Audit (4), Talent & Compensation (4), Nominating & Governance (2), Risk (4) .
- Risk and cybersecurity oversight
- As Risk Committee Chair, she oversees enterprise risk management, including cybersecurity; management provides quarterly cyber updates and reports moderate+ incidents to the committee; regular board updates occur on security assessments, third‑party audits, and training .
- ESG oversight
- Nominating & Governance oversees ESG activities; Risk oversees ESG-related risks and disclosures; Audit reviews ESG disclosures and related controls .
Fixed Compensation (Director)
| Component (FY2024) | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Director Cash Retainer | $75,000 | Paid quarterly . |
| Committee Membership Fees | $30,000 | $10,000 per committee (Audit, Nominating & Governance, Risk) . |
| Committee Chair Fee (Risk) | $20,000 | Risk Committee chair retainer . |
| Total Cash Fees (FY2024) | $125,000 | Reported “Fees Earned” for K. Blum . |
| Equity (RSUs) – Grant-Date Fair Value (FY2024) | $158,807 | RSUs vest on first anniversary; grant date Mar 19, 2024 . |
- 2025 program changes: independent director cash retainer increased to $90,000; annual equity to $170,000; Board Chair cash retainer to $100,000 .
Performance Compensation (Director Equity)
| Grant Date | Instrument | # Units | Grant-Date Fair Value | Vesting | YE 2024 Unvested Units | YE 2024 Market Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 19, 2024 | RSUs | n/a (individual grant valued at $158,807) | $158,807 | Cliff vest at 1 year | 2,597 | $333,715 (at $128.50 on Dec 27, 2024) . |
- Directors do not receive performance-based equity; awards are time-based RSUs with one-year vesting .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Potential Interlock or Conflict |
|---|---|---|
| GuideWell Mutual Holding Corp. | Not-for-profit mutual holding (healthcare) | No SFM-related transactions disclosed . |
| Sheetz | Private retailer (convenience) | No SFM-related transactions disclosed . |
| Verneek | Private AI startup | No SFM-related transactions disclosed . |
- Related-party transactions review: The only related-party disclosure in FY2024 concerned purchases from Guayakí Yerba Mate (where director Hari Avula serves on the board); no direct or indirect interest for Ms. Blum is disclosed .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technology and retail CIO/CTO leadership at PepsiCo/Frito-Lay, J.C. Penney, Abercrombie & Fitch; deep experience in digital, data/analytics, and cybersecurity oversight .
- Current Risk Committee Chair; extensive functional expertise in cybersecurity risk oversight with structured quarterly reporting from management .
- Board credentials: NACD Certified Director; NACD/Carnegie Mellon Cybersecurity Oversight Certification; Berkeley Law/Ceres ESG Certification; NACD Board Leadership Fellow; UCLA Anderson Corporate Governance Certification; NACD Risk Committee Oversight Advisory Council .
Equity Ownership
| Item | Amount | Source/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficially owned common shares (as of Mar 24, 2025) | 51,627 | “Shares Beneficially Owned” for K. Blum . |
| % of shares outstanding | ≈0.053% | 51,627 / 98,177,776 shares outstanding (record date Mar 24, 2025) . |
| Unvested RSUs at FY2024 YE | 2,597 | Outstanding director equity awards table . |
| Options (exercisable/unexercisable) | Not disclosed for Blum | Beneficial ownership footnote for Blum lists only common shares . |
| Pledged shares | None disclosed | Company policy prohibits pledging/hedging without approval; no pledging disclosed for directors . |
| Director ownership guideline | 5x annual cash retainer over 5 years | Applies to independent directors; includes outright shares and unvested RSUs in calculation . |
| Approx. value of beneficial shares | ~$6.63 million | 51,627 × $128.50 (Dec 27, 2024 close) ≈ $6,634,070; price per proxy footnote . |
Alignment indicator: Based on disclosed shares and the Dec 27, 2024 price, Blum’s beneficial holdings materially exceed the director guideline threshold of 5× the 2024 cash retainer ($375,000) .
Governance Assessment
- Strengths
- Independent director with 9 years of service and chair of the Risk Committee, bringing significant cybersecurity oversight and enterprise IT expertise; structured ERM and cyber reporting cadence is in place under her chairship .
- Robust ownership alignment: ~51.6K shares beneficially owned; approximate market value ~$6.63M at the FY2024 year-end price; director ownership guideline requires 5× cash retainer, reinforcing alignment .
- Engagement: Board held 6 meetings; all directors attended at least 75% of board/committee meetings and attended the 2024 annual meeting; Blum serves on three key committees (Audit, N&G, Risk Chair) .
- Compensation structure balances cash retainers with time-vested RSUs; 2025 adjustments move program toward median peer levels without introducing risky incentives for directors .
- Potential risk indicators (no red flags disclosed)
- Multiple external roles (GuideWell, Sheetz, Verneek) increase time commitments but no related-party transactions or SFM interlocks are disclosed for Blum; company policy restricts hedging/pledging absent approval .
- Board/committee attendance is disclosed in aggregate (≥75%); no individual attendance shortfalls are disclosed .
References: .